Nilgiri Tahr

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Soochipara is a beautiful waterfalls in Wayanad district of Kerala State.It is roughly 22kms away from Kalpetta which is the gateway to Wayanad district."Soochi" in Malayalam means "Needle" and "Para" means "Rock".So it is "Needle Rock" waterfalls and the reason is obvious in the needle shaped mountain close to the waterfalls.
Less water cascades because of summer heat
The road which leads to the waterfalls from Kalpetta is in good shape.You have to take a right turn from Meppady and drive a further 13 kms to the breathtaking falls.Since we reached the falls in peak summer the water gushing down was lower than usual.Still it was a spectacular sight.
Soochipara or Needle rock.......
The Kerala Forest department is having a check-post just less than 1km from the falls.The entry to the falls is restricted from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM.A nominal fee is charged for entry into the waterfalls area.As we walk down the nicely laid down granite path to the waterfalls we first see the "Needle" or "Soochi" hill.Then there is a steep downward path which takes us right to the front of the falls.
Another view.......Refreshing...
All tiredness goes away the moment we see the falls.Since the water levels were little low than usual we could go very close to the falls.As the cool droplets fell on our face we felt re-energised and rejuvenateed.
Frozen.......
The forest guards who accompanied us were very friendly and they narrated their experince in dealing with various types of people who come to see the falls.They informed us of the large variety of wild animals which inhabit this part of the forests.They even showed us the remains of a kill by a leopard.
We were informed that there are large number of snakes which live in close proximity to the waterfalls.Even large sized king cobras can also be seen once in a while.
A Leopard killed a deer a few days ago
As we started back to the parking area we were satisfied in experiencing one of the magnificient waterfalls of Kerala.